Why we’d love to go to the Monaco F1 Grand Prix

Picture yourself behind the wheel of one of the most powerful (land-borne) machines on the planet, hugging the bends in the streets of stunning, glamorous Monaco.

And that’s just the start of why we’d love to watch the Monaco F1 Grand Prix on 24 May, 2015.

To watch the race

The Grand Prix is synonymous with the creme de la creme of the international racing circuit, and even with the Singapore leg coming up and an Aussie stop in March 2015, the Monaco Grand Prix takes the cake for being the creamiest of them all.

Held officially on the Circuit de Monaco at Monte Carlo, this 260.52 km track (made up of 78 laps of a 3.34 km course) is simply one of the most famous, most revered and most revved up in the world. It’s been 10 years since anyone broke a record on this track – a little someone by the name of Michael Schumacher, who holds the impressive lap time of 1:14.439.

Of all 19 Grand Prix circuits, Monte Carlo has the smallest capacity with space for just 37,000 spectators, making those who attend even more special. Don’t forget however, that estimates put the number of total viewers closer to the 200,000 mark once you account for those watching from balconies, buildings and even yahcts in the harbour, according to ESPN. This makes for a particularly cosy event atmosphere – all packed in to Monaco’s miniscule 1.95 sq km (the second smallest country in the world!).

And with 2013 shattering the record books for number of visitors with a staggering 587,431 hotel reservations, it’s clear there’s something magical about Monaco.

Monaco-Ville is the postcard-perfect old European town that looks over the more modern installments of the city. Take a short but largely vertical walk to the top on a cloudless day (the Cote d’Azur scores more than 300 days of sunshine a year on average, so this is more likely than not) to the top of the town to see the Prince’s Palace, the Cathedral and Oceanographic Museum. With paved streets, colourful building facades and quaint cafes at every turn, you will get lost in the timelessness of this bite-sized location.

Count the Ferraris as you meander to the world-famous casino or stroll around the harbour to check out which foreign dignitaries and royals have anchored for a visit. Shop on reclaimed land in Fontvieille – the newest area of town – where you will also find a heliport, sports complex and posh new Columbus Monaco hotel.

The playground of the rich and famous and the race track for the fastest F1 cars and drivers in the world, Monaco might be the kind of place you drive around in a hurry, but you certainly won’t forget it quite so quickly.

Want to see it all and do it all but can’t quite stretch the budget this time around?

Virgin Money is giving one lucky Virgin Super member the chance to go for free with Super Stars & Super Cars 2, ending 31 October 2014. The winner will have the chance to choose this trip from 22 – 25 May 2015, including four nights in 4-star accommodation in Nice and tickets for two to the final race.

Virgin Money Australia

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